Portable oven

ABSTRACT

A portable gas or electric oven comprising a wire framework which is easily assembled and disassembled and which embodies means for efficiently supporting a burner in position for broiling or baking of foods supported in the oven, and which further embodies rigid wall portions and, if desired, a disposable wall covering which may be utilized during actual cooking processes and thereafter discarded, and which may be eliminated entirely for oven demonstration purposes.

United States Patent 1 91 11 1 3,7 24,440 Clark et al. [451 Apr. 3, 19731 PORTABLE OVEN 2,058,836 10/1936 Silver ..l26/9 R 2,839,043 6/1958 LaBorn .....l26/9 B [75] lm'emors' Robert clarkAllenmwn 3,308,807 3/1967Little eta]. ..126/275 R L. Helgeson, Macungie, both of Pa.

[73] Assignee: Raytheon Company, Lexington,

Mass.

[22] Filed: Feb. 25, 1972 [21] Appl. N0.: 229,423

[52] US. Cl. .l26/9 R, 126/275 [51] Int. Cl. ..F24c 1/16, A47j 37/07[58] Field of Search.. ..l26/9, 25, 275, 29

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,234,596 3/1941 Heilman..l26/275 R 2,048,769 7/1936 Anderson ..l26/9 R Primary Examiner-EdwardG. Favors Attorney-Harold A. Murphy et al.

57 ABSTRACT A portable gas or electric oven comprising a wire frameworkwhich is easily assembled and disassembled and which embodies means forefficiently supporting a burner in position for broiling or baking offoods supported in the oven, and which further embodies rigid wallportions and, if desired, a disposable wall covering which may beutilized during actual cooking processes and thereafter discarded, andwhich may be eliminated entirely for oven demonstration purposes.

6 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEUAPRS I975 3.724 440 SHEET 1 OF 2F/G. Z

PATENTEDAPR 3 ms SHEET 2 BF 2 PORTABLE OVEN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn the business of manufacturing and selling appliances such as ovens,and particularly of the burners used therein, it is often desirable andpractical to provide special portable demonstration units which can bequickly and easily assembled and disassembled for many reasons relatedto economy, weight reduction and space saving. Obviously it is notpractical when promoting a particular burner unit, for example, to movea complete domestic oven around to various locations for this purpose.However, a large enough market does not exist which would warrantmanufacture of demonstration units on a production basis.

Portable knock-down grills have been made for some time. However, inmost known devices of this type the structures are usually unstable ordifficult to assemble and disassemble. In most cases the devices requiresolid fuels and are not readily adaptable for use with gas or electricburners.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above and other objections to conventionaldevices are overcome by the present invention wherein there is provideda portable gas or electric oven which is comprised primarily of a groupof wire frame elements which are structured to be assembled together asa relatively rigid unit which may be quickly and easily assembled anddisassembled, which includes means for supporting an electric or gasburner in bake or broil position, which may be utilized as ademonstrator wherein clear viewing of a burner during operation ispermitted, and which further includes a disposable enclosing wrapper foruse during actual baking or broiling operations.

The assembly comprises wire-type front and rear supports, and a pair ofopposite sides having upper and lower inwardly flanged areas which fitover the ends of wire uprights on the supports, the upper flangesresting upon transverse rod portions of the front and rear supports andthereby retaining the sides in their assembled positions. A bottom plateis also fitted upon the lower ends of the legs of the front and rearsupports and is held in place by the lower flanges on the sides.

The supports are provided with supporting means on which a burner unitis restrainedly positioned in either broiling or baking position, andthe sides have removably assembled therewith runners for use insupporting shelves for carrying food in a selected position to bebroiled or baked, as the case may be.

The sides may be solid sheets of metal, or may be wire structures. Adisposable metal foil bag or wrapper is also provided for enclosing theassembled unit when the unit is to be used for actual broiling or bakingoperations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of anoven embodying the invention:

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of one of the end supports in the device ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of-the other end support in the device ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of one of the side panels of the device;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a shelf support or runner;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a gas-fueled burner utilizable with thedevice of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an electric heating element to be usedwith the device;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of an alternate side panel; and

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a device including a disposableenclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring more particularly tothe drawings, a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1as including a framework of wire supports comprising front and backsupports 10 and 12 respectively, side panels 14 and bottom panel 16.

Front support 10, as seen best in FIG. 2, comprises a pair of spacedvertical posts 18 and 20 and upper and lower cross rods 22 and 24respectively. Cross rods 22 and 24 are welded at their ends to the postsat points spaced a short distance from the ends thereof. The extendedportions 18a and 20a of the lower ends of posts 18 and 20 thus becomethe front legs of the device.

The rear support 12 has a pair of spaced interval support posts 26 and28 similar to posts 18 and 20, and spaced upper and lower transversecross rods 30 and 32 respectively. Cross rods 30 and 32 are weldedattheir ends to the posts 26 and 28 at points spaced a short distancefrom the ends thereof whereby the lower end portions 26a and 28a of theposts become the rear legs of the device.

Each side panel 14 comprises a metal sheet, which may be plated withchromium if desired to enhance heat reflectivity, and which has inturnedflanges 14a and 14b along its respective upper and lower edges. Thebottom plate 16 is a sheet of metal which also may be made highly heatreflective, particularly on its upper or inner surface, if desired.

The frame is assembled easily and quickly by first inserting legs 18a,20a, 26a and 28a in openings provided therefor in bottom plate 16. Thenone of the side panels 14 is mounted by inserting leg 18a of frontsupport 10 and leg 26a of rear support 12 in openings 34 (FIG. 4) ofbottom flange 14b of the selected side panel 14. Then the upper end ofthe side panel is mounted upon the upper ends of posts 18 and 26 byhooking the holes 36 therein over the ends of the posts 18 and 26. Upperflange 14a will then rest upon the cross rods 22 and 30. The lowerflange 14b is disposed beneath the bottom plate 16 and holds it firmlyup against cross rods 24 and 32. The other side panel 14 is similarlymounted on the upper and lower ends of the posts 20 and 28. Thisprovides a relatively rigid oven structure wherein the sides and bottomare enclosed.

A heating unit, which may be a gas-fueled unit 38 or an electricalelement 40, is adapted to be mounted either in the upper portion of theoven for broiling purposes or in the lower portion for baking. ln-FIG. la gas-fueled unit 38 is shown in the broiling location. Details of sucha gas burner are not believed necessary here except insofar as they areshown in FIG. 6.

The preferred unit 38 in FIGS. 1 and 6 is a radiant burner whichincludes a burner box 42 on the under side of which is a combustionscreen structure 44 as is well known in the art. Such a radiant gasburner is shown and described in U. S. Pat. No. 3,122,197. At one end ofthe box 42 is a venturi 46 having at its outer end a duct cup 48 whichis secured to the end of the venturi by'a collar 50. A gas feed line 52is connected at one end to a gas supply such as a propane tank (notshown) and at its other end is connected to the duct cup in such amanner that air is supplied simultaneously with the flow of gas so thata suitable air-gas mixture passes through the venturi 46 into box 42 forcombustion, when ignited, at screen 44.

So that the burner unit 38 may be retained in position in the topportion of the oven, two supporting brackets 54 extend from the end ofthe box opposite the venturi, as shown in FIG. 6. When the burner unitis in the upper position with its screen 44 facing down as shown in FIG.1, the brackets 44 will rest upon a U- shaped bar 56 which is fixed toand extends inwardly from cross rod 22 of front support 10. Bar 56actually is provided with two spaced indentations 58 (FIG. 2) whichreceive the brackets 54 and prevent the unit from easily slidingtransversely of the oven along the bar. Each bracket is provided with adownwardly extending lug 60 which fits against the outer side of bar 56to prevent movement of the burner unit toward the rear of the oven.

At the other end of the apparatus, the cross rod 30 of rear support 12is provided with a U-shaped depressed portion 62 in which the venturi 46is located. The duct cup collar 50 rests against the outer side of therod 30 and thus prevents the burner unit from moving forwardly.

The lower cross rods 24 and 32 of front and rear supports and 12 aresimilarly provided with means for supporting the burner unit 38 in thelower or baking position. To accomplish this, the burner unit 38 isinverted so that its screen 44 faces upward. In this case the brackets54 rest on bar 56a in indentations 58a, and venturi 46 rests on rearcross rod 32 in depressed portion 62a. Lugs 60a on the brackets 54function with collar 50 to prevent dislocation longitudinally of theburner unit. When using the burner in this way for baking, a sheet ofmetal (not shown) must be placed above the burner to extend across theoven so that any food in contacted by heat via convection around theedges of the sheet. Without the sheet any cooking is achieved byradiated heat.

In FIG. 7 an electrical unit 40 is shown comprising a shallow concavesupport 64 within which a heating element 66 is suspended. Element 66 issupported at one end on one end portion 64a of the support. A rigid tube68 has one end secured to the portion 64a of the support and has a ringor collar 70 at its other end. A cable 72 passes through the tube 68 tothe heating element for supplying electrical current thereto.

At the opposite end 64b of the support 64 are located two brackets 74similar to the brackets 54 on the gas burner 38. It will be apparentthat the electrical unit 40 can be mounted in the broiling or bakingposition in the oven in a manner similar to the gas burner describedabove. The inner surface of support 64 may be reflectorized if desired.

The side panels 14 are provided with two spaced holes 90 which areadapted to receive hooked upper end portions 92 of vertically extendingwirelike posts However, when it is desired to use the described portableapparatus for actual cooking, it probably will be preferable to utilizeside panels having the shape shown in FIG. 8. Such a side panel 76 hasspaced verti cal end strips 78 with upper and lower apertured endflanges 80 by which the panels are mounted on the front and rearsupports in the same manner as panels 14. However, panels 76 compriseupper and lower cross rods 82-84 and connecting vertical posts 86between the strips 78. Thus, the side panels 76 will accumulate muchless soil during a cooking process than will the solid panels 14.

In order to prevent air currents from affecting a cooking pRocess thereis also provided a generally bagshaped container 88 of aluminum foil,for example, which is adapted to fit over the entire oven. Thus, duringa cooking process most of the splatter or spilled surfaces of thecontainer 88. The container 88, being disposable, may thereafter beeasily removed and discarded. The container 88 must, of course, beprovided with means such as openings 90 near the bottom for permittingentrance of air into the device, and with an opening 92 at or near thetop to function as a flue.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that a novel economical andeasily assembled and disassembled portable oven structure has beenprovided in accordance with the objectives of this invention. It is tobe understood, however, that modifications in the structure shown anddescribed may be made by those skilled in the art without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims.Accordingly, all matter shownand described is to be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A collapsible oven comprising a first pair of opposing side wallmembers, and a second pair of opposing side wall members detachablyconnected to and supported by said first pair of wall members anddefining therewith an oven compartment, said first pair of opposing wallmembers having support means for removably supporting a heating unit inposition of use thereon, a heating unit removably positioned on saidsupport means, and means for supporting an article to be heated withinthe oven.

2. An oven as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first pair of side wallmembers each has upper and lower cross rods and a pair of vertical endrods connected to the respective adjacent ends of said cross rods, andsaid upper and lower cross rods carry heating unit supporting meanswhereby the heating unit may be positioned at different selectedpositions of use.

3. An oven as set forth in claim 2 wherein said support means comprisesrecess means for receiving said heating unit, and said heating unit hasmeans interfitting with said recess means for preventing accidentallateral and longitudinal displacement of said heating unit. v

4. An oven comprising a framework having a first pair of opposing wallmembers, and a second pair of opposing wall members connected to andsupported by said first pair of wall members, said first pair of wallmembers each having upper and lower cross rods and a pair of verticalend rods connected to the respective adjacent ends of said cross rods,and said second pair of members each having connecting means at theupper and lower ends thereof which interfit with said vertical end rodsfor support thereby, said vertical end rods being of a length to extendbeyond the connections with said cross rods,and said second pair of wallmembers each having an inwardly angled upper and lower end portionhaving apertures therein aligned with the adjacent ends of said verticalrods, the extended ends of the rods penetrating said apertures forsupporting said second pair of wall members.

5. An oven as set forth in claim 4 wherein said second pair of opposingwall members comprise sheets of metal extending parallel with andoverlying respective adjacent vertical rods of said first pair of wallmembers and having apertured flanges on their upper and lower edgeswhich are hooked over the adjacent ends of said vertical rods forsupport thereon.

6. An oven as set forth in claim 5 wherein said sheets of metal arevertically extending spaced strips connected by spaced wires.

1. A collapsible oven comprising a first pair of opposing side wallmembers, and a second pair of opposing side wall members detachablyconnected to and supported by said first pair of wall members anddefining therewith an oven compartment, said first pair of opposing wallmembers having support means for removably supporting a heating unit inposition of use thereon, a heating unit removably positioned on saidsupport means, and means for supporting an article to be heated withinthe oven.
 2. An oven as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first pair ofside wall members each has upper and lower cross rods and a pair ofvertical end rods connected to the respective adjacent ends of saidcross rods, and said upper and lower cross rods carry heating unitsupporting means whereby the heating unit may be positioned at differentselected positions of use.
 3. An oven as set forth in claim 2 whereinsaid support means comprises recess means for receiving said heatingunit, and said heating unit has means interfitting with said recessmeans for preventing accidental lateral and longitudinal displacement ofsaid heating unit.
 4. An oven comprising a framework having a first pairof opposing wall members, and a second pair of opposing wall membersconnected to and supported by said first pair of wall members, saidfirst pair of wall members each having upper and lower cross rods and apair of vertical end rods connected to the respective adjacent ends ofsaid cross rods, and said second pair of members each having connectingmeans at the upper and lower ends thereof which interfit with saidvertical end rods for support thereby, said vertical end rods being of alength to extend beyond the connections with said cross rods, and saidsecond pair of wall members each having an inwardly angled upper andlower end portion having apertures therein aligned with the adjacentends of said vertical rods, the extended ends of the rods penetratingsaid apertures for supporting said second pair of wall members.
 5. Anoven as set forth in claim 4 wherein said second pair of opposing wallmembers comprise sheets of metal extending parallel with and overlyingrespective adjacent vertical rods of said first pair of wall members andhaving apertured flanges on their upper and lower edges which are hookedover the adjacent ends of said vertical rods for support thereon.
 6. Anoven as set forth in claim 5 wherein said sheets of metal are verticallyextending spaced strips connected by spaced wires.